This invention pertains to an economical, disposable protective liner for the cargo bed area of an automotive vehicle and is particularly designed for use in enclosed utility vehicles such as four wheel drive passenger vehicles and other vehicles having large cargo areas where occasional protection from damage by transported objects is desired.
Vehicles which are designed to be comfortable passenger vehicles that convert into useful hauling vehicles are common. Some have a rear seat which folds partially or totally into the rear bed or which can be removed totally to provide a larger hauling area than is available in more conventional vehicles whose storage areas are not designed for such use. Such vehicles, some of which are presently marketed under trademarks such as "BLAZER", "BRONCO", "CHEROKEE", "JEEP", and other vehicles such as large station wagons, passenger vans, etc. are often nicely upholstered in fabrics that would show wear and dirt quickly if subjected to even occasional cargo transportation. Particularly, owners of such vehicles may need to transport large pets, firewood, gardening supplies, small motors or engines, bicycles, sports equipment and other common items occasionally. Transportation of such items without suitable protection of the interior of the vehicle would result in increased wear and/or soiling, and hence the value of the vehicle would be reduced.
Many types of liners have been specifically designed for pickup truck beds. Most of these are made of durable, rigid materials such as wood, rubber or plastic because of the excessively hard use and exposure to adverse weather conditions that a pickup truck bed is often subjected to. Often these liners are precast and they are usually fastened directly to the truck bed with bolts, snaps, etc., making removal and storage difficult. Truck bed liners are not designed for interior vehicle use and are certainly not designed to be either disposable or recyclable. They are usually expensive and would generally be purchased by a vehicle owner with the intent to leave the liner fastened into the cargo area for as long as the owner owns the vehicle.
Presently there are several types of cargo bed liners designed for use in interior cargo areas of automotive vehicles. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,789,574 and 4,765,671 are examples of such liners. However, these liners and other liners of the prior art are made of vinyl, plastic or fabrics and are intended to be fastened into place during use. These liners are relatively expensive to purchase, heavy and bulky to store, complicated and time consuming to assemble and are not intended to be disposable or recyclable. As a consequence, owners of utility vehicles will often carry cargo unprotected and damage their vehicles or pay extra to have cargo delivered.
Thus, there is a need for a protective liner for a cargo bed area that is light weight, can be easily assembled by a single person, and is economical enough that it can be purchased at garden centers, hardware stores, lumber yards, automotive supply houses, and similar places where the vehicle owner may have an immediate single need to protect the interior cargo area of the vehicle. Such a liner must also be manufactured at a low cost, must be easily inserted into place, easily removed and collapsed after use, and conveniently stored or ecologically disposed of. It must also fit a variety of sizes of cargo bed areas, most of which will have wheel wells protruding into the sides of the area. Finally, it should prevent leakage of loose materials into other areas of the vehicle.